Kennards Hire Rally Australia

00:00:00 (UTC +11)

Sun 14:17 - Until thenKeep an eye on wrc.com for rally reports, and all the news from Australia and the WRC off-season. And don’t forget WRC+ where you'll find the best selection of stage footage, highlights shows and onboards. Bye for now!

Sun 14:15 - We will returnOn 19 January 2017 with updates from the championship's opening round: Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Sun 14:14 - Rally completeAnd that's where we'll end our live text service from Australia - and the 2016 WRC season.

Sun 13:53 - SS23: Mikkelsen "It's been such a perfect end to the season. I had nothing to lose. All this year I drove for the championship but here we just went for the win, to see how fast we were. We challenged the four-time champion and we won fair and square in the same road conditions. It's just sad to see this team and the car come to an end. I will miss them. It's very sad."

Sun 13:49 - SS23: Mikkelsen He and his co-driver Anders are on the roof celebrating! What a finish!

Sun 13:47 - SS23: Ogier Another new fastest time for the champ. And that's his last stage in the Polo R - the car he drove to four drivers' titles. "An enjoyable stage like all the others. I just tried to enjoy it. It's been an amazing year. Thanks so much to the guys for everything, I will never forget it. Hopefully I'll see you again in Monte Carlo."

Sun 13:43 - SS23: NeuvilleFastest time so far, that's third place secure, and with it the runner-up spot in the drivers' championship. "We had the speed all weekend and I'm happy to get this result. After some difficult times, this year we're doing great. We have shown that we are the guys to have in the team and we're looking forward to next year."

Sun 13:38 - SS23: Paddon He promised a big show for his [almost] home crowd and Paddon goes second-fastest here - one-tenth slower than his team-mate Sordo, but that's enough to keep fourth. "A difficult weekend, we wanted more, but I'm focused now on the future and coming back stronger next year. I promise you, you will see a different man next year."

Sun 13:35 - SS23: Sordo Fastest time so far for Dani: 3m39.5s. But will it be enough to get fourth place back from Paddon? "I drove it well. Fourth or fifth place are the same to me. Okay, I'm disappointed about the penalty on day one. I want to say thanks to the team and I'm looking forward to 2017."

Sun 13:30 - SS23: Ostberg Second fastest so far, 1.5sec off Latvala's leading time. He had been hunting fifth, but it looks like sixth for the Norwegian on what might be his last rally for M-Sport. "I'm glad to be back fighting with the guys ahead. A close rally. Next year? It's 2017..."

Sun 13:27 - SS23: TanakSecond quickest here, 2.4sec off Latvala's pace, and it looks like seventh place for the Estonian. "For sure its been a really nice year, working with DMACK tyres we made some big steps. We've had some nice wins but also some big losses together. I'm thankful - they've done a great job. Let's see what next year brings. I'm looking forward to it."

Sun 13:21 - SS23: BertelliToday's broken diff was the Italian's only real worry this weekend. He loses a place here though - dropping behind Latvala to tenth. "Unlucky today, but okay, we get a point. A mix of happy and disappointed. Definitely you will see me again next year."

Sun 13:19 - SS23: Latvala He completes his last stage in Volkswagen's Polo in 3m40.7s. After Friday's broken suspension Jari-Matti rounds off his VW career with a top-10 - and it might be ninth if he can catch Bertelli. "More difficult here than this morning. Not easy to find the grip. Maybe not enough to win the Power Stage but we had a try. And next year? Nothing at the moment but I hope to have something..."

Sun 13:16 - SS23: WRC2 Lappi He's through to win the WRC 2 category in Australia and secure this year's FIA title. And there's a jubilant roof-top celebration from the usually ice-cool Finn. "The team deserves this - as do we. Okay, we've had some bad luck this year but we end with four wins in a row. Nothing is certain about next year - but I hope we will be back in a WRC car."

Sun 13:08 - SS22: LIVE Lappi is underway

Sun 12:52 - Up next: Power Stage LIVE on WRC+ from 1300hrs. Esapekka Lappi will be first to start at 1308hrs, followed by the nine World Rally Car crews in reverse rally classification order. Four minute gaps for these cars.

Sun 12:47 - SS22: WRC2 Lappi "Nearly there. I just want to get this finished quickly."

Sun 12:45 - SS22: Mikkelsen Third-fastest here, and his lead before the final stage is 19.9sec. "Really steady, no risks - in cruise mode. It will be a strange feeling driving the next stage - sad but at the same time a great result. Mixed emotions."

Sun 12:42 - Tyre infoNews from Michelin on the number and compound (Hard or Soft) of LTX Force tyres chosen for the afternoon loop. Camilli/Ostberg/Ogier/Latvala/Mikkelsen/Neuville/Paddon: 5S. Sordo: 4S&1H.

Sun 12:41 - SS22: Ogier A new fastest time, 1.4sec up on Paddon. "All good. A bit more grip but still some slippery dust. Next it's the Power Stage and I'm going to enjoy my last ride in the Polo."

Sun 12:40 - SS22: Paddon Fastest so far, 2.7sec quicker than Sordo, and that moves Hayden up to fourth. "I've been a bit grumpy for the last few hours, but now I'm over it. I'll just try to enjoy my driving and give the fans something to watch. I'm going to put on a show on the final stage."

Sun 12:36 - SS22: Neuville One-tenth quicker than Sordo. "A clean stage. No mistakes. I'm just managing the gap now. One stage to go and we are close to our objective. I don't need to push on the Power Stage. If it stays like this I get a podium and second place in the championship."

Sun 12:34 - SS22: SordoQuickest so far, and he needs to be quick with Paddon breathing down his neck. "It was okay, but in a couple of places we could have been faster. We will try to keep our [fourth] place. Will this time be enough? We'll see."

Sun 12:30 - SS22: Ostberg "Okay but more slippery than I expected. It's a sandy surface. We're following the national rally cars and they leave different lines."

Sun 12:26 - SS22: Tanak1.4sec slower than Latvala. "Very tricky. Inconsistent grip. Less grip than before I would say. I don't know how that's possible."

Sun 12:25 - SS22: Bertelli 6.9sec off Latvala's pace. The Italian's Fiesta is back in four-wheel drive after a trip to service but he still expects to lose ninth place to Latvala. "It would be stupid to try and fight him on these stages. We have to finish this rally, that's the priority.

Sun 12:22 - SS22: LatvalaHe's through in 3m09.6s. "Surprisingly slippery and difficult to find the grip. Worse than this morning I'd say. Maybe it's the temperature but the road seems polished."

Sun 12:18 - SS22: LIVE Latvala in stage. WRC cars will start this one at three-minute intervals

Sun 10:46 - Next stage: 1215hrs That's Latvala's start time for the second running of Settles Reverse. We'll take a text break until then.

Sun 10:45 - Up next: Service Crews are en route to Coffs for a 30 minute service before the final two stages.

Sun 10:44 - SS21: WRC2 Fuchs His car is missing its rear windscreen. "I think we lost it after a jump. There's a lot of dust in the car now - it's amazing."

Sun 10:43 - SS21: WRC2 Lappi "Not so many kilometers to go, but as we saw unfortunately with Eric anything can happen. We don't need to take risks."

Sun 10:39 - SS21: Mikkelsen Quickest time for Andreas, who seems utterly calm and confident. His advantage over Ogier now 22.7sec. "I've never driven so fast and felt so comfortable before. It brings a lot of confidence. Now I'm not driving crazy but setting good times. It's really coming together."

Sun 10:36 - SS21: Ogier Second quickest here, three-tenths slower than Latvala, and Ogier chucks in the towel. "Now the battle is over but for sure we enjoyed the fight for two fantastic days. Andreas has done a good job. Okay, the rally is not over yet but if he wins it will be a well deserved victory."

Sun 10:33 - SS21: Paddon Fourth fastest here and still smarting after the time loss on SS20. "I made a mistake and ran a bit wide. Nothing else to say."

Sun 10:31 - SS21: Neuville Now Thierry slots second-fastest. "Quite cautious here because I'm on the hard tyres. I have kept my soft tyres for the second loop so I have some good ones for the Power Stage.

Sun 10:27 - SS21: Sordo Second fastest so far. And with Paddon and Ostberg close behind he needs to keep the pace up. "The plan is to continue to try our best. The gap [ahead] to Thierry is big but anything can happen."

Sun 10:16 - SS21: Ostberg He and co-driver Ola Floene have put on their helmets and have climbed back inside their Fiesta.

Sun 10:06 - SS21: Ostberg Waiting on the start line for the stage to get underway again. A medical crew is on its way to the crash scene.

Sun 10:02 - Car going nowhereCrew out of the car again. Looks like the fire extinguisher has been activated. The recovery truck is on the scene. No sign of fire but this looks like game over for Camilli.

Sun 09:59 - Car on its wheels Okay. People-power has done the job. The car is right-side up and the crew are getting back in. Looks like there is some problem with the right-front wheel.

Sun 09:56 - Car on its roof That didn't go to plan. The Fiesta is now on its roof. Stage stopped. A recovery truck is on its way.

Sun 09:54 - Car on its side Eric, his co-driver and some spectators are trying to roll the car back onto its wheels.

Sun 09:52 - SS21: Camilli rolls! Just over 1km into the stage. Crew okay and out of the car.

Sun 09:52 - SS21: Tanak 4.3sec off Latvala's pace. "Very slippery on this one. Hopefully it will be cleaner on the repeat."

Sun 09:49 - SS21: Bertelli Hampered by a lack of rear-wheel drive, the Italian is 44.6sec slower than Latvala. "The rear diff is broken and one of our dampers exploded too. I think we will lose our top 10 finish now." Sure enough, Latvala moves ahead and Bertelli slides to 11th.

Sun 09:43 - SS21: Latvala He's through in 3m41.0s. How was that? "The feeling is really, really good. I'm enjoying the driving. I see no reason why we can't continue next year..."

Sun 09:30 - Mikkelsen runner-up?Andreas wants to wrestle second place in the drivers' championship from Neuville, but if things stay as they are even a maximum score on the Power Stage won't be enough to do that. Paddon's problems on SS20 allowed Neuville to move up to third - giving him enough points to guarantee P2.

Sun 09:26 - SS20: WRC2 Serderidis "We lost the gearbox. We are stuck in second gear now."

Sun 09:22 - Stage info: SS21/23Wedding Bells, 6.44km. Wedding Bells, so named because a gold miner took his new bride there for their honeymoon, has been shortened by 2.8km at the start. It is fast but narrow in places and the surface is clay, with little loose gravel for the early starters to worry about. It is best known for a popular spectator area which features a water splash and right bend, followed by a jump on a second visit to the same zone.

Sun 09:21 - SS20: WRC2 Al-Suwaidi He has rejoined after retiring on Saturday. "A spin in here. The stage is very slippery. Maybe we have the wrong tyres - I'm on the medium compound."

Sun 09:20 - Next stage: 0938hrsThat's when the first running of Wedding Bells gets underway. This one is Live on WRC+ don't forget. Stage notes coming up...

Sun 09:15 - SS20: WRC 2 Ptaszek "Not bad. In a slow mode now just to save the position. Very easy to make a mistake. We just drive to the finish now."

Sun 09:11 - SS20: WRC 2 Fuchs "I go very carefully now, 80 per cent I think. Second place today would be a good result for me."

Sun 09:08 - SS20: WRC2 LappiWay out front in WRC 2, Lappi remains on course to secure the title today. "All under control. I was very, very slow here, cruising in the bad places, avoiding the big rocks. I don't feel any pressure, I just want to finish - so I'm a bit tense, that's all"

Sun 09:04 - SS20: Mikkelsen Fastest! 19.6sec quicker than the spinning Ogier and Mikkelsen's rally lead is up to 22sec. "We had a good stage. Not perfect, but I pushed hard. That was all we could do. It's not a comfortable lead though. I need full concentration right to the end. I have confidence in this type of driving now. It's a special weekend."

Sun 08:59 - SS20: Ogier 16.4sec quicker that Latvala at the final split, but he complete 0.8sec SLOWER. Seb's straight out of the VW to inspect its front end - the splitter is cracked. What happened? "I spun. It's okay, but we lost maybe 15 seconds. That's part of the game."

Sun 08:56 - SS20: Paddon Disaster for the Kiwi. He loses 54.8sec and drops two places - behind Neuville and Sordo - to fifth. His car's rear-left tyre is shredded and there is surrounding panel damage. He is gutted. "Nothing to say. We went wide, touched a bank and pushed the tyre off the rim."

Sun 08:52 - SS20: Neuville "All okay, but I'm on a hard and soft tyre mix because I need to save some for the Power stage. So I'm losing traction here. With all soft tyres I could be much quicker."

Sun 08:46 - SS20: Sordo 8.8sec up on Ostberg and that pulls him ahead again in the overall standings. "Much better this time."

Sun 08:42 - SS20: Ostberg "A good stage but there's a lot of dust coming inside the car and I struggled to see in some places. It's not just dust from the cars ahead - it's my own dust that's causing problems."

Sun 08:38 - SS20: Camilli "I had a little problem with my brakes - the same overheating issue as yesterday - but all okay. Now I just want to get through the rally and complete my season."

Sun 08:35 - SS20: Tanak Lorenzo's slower pace ahead causes big problems for Ott. "Crazy dust. We must have been catching Lorenzo - it was blind all the time. We tried a mixed tyre set-up but it's hard to say how that worked."

Sun 08:31 - SS20: Bertelli 1m30sec off the pace and he's shaking his head. "We have a broken rear diff. Just front-wheel drive now. Nothing we can do."

Sun 08:26 - SS20: Latvala"A good run overall. A nice stage, but some very slippery sections after the 20km point, very dusty there."

Sun 08:24 - SS19: Mikkelsen A terrific response. Mikkelsen goes six-tenths FASTER than Ogier and his rally lead is up to 2.6sec. "We are attacking at the maximum. Absolutely flat out. No mistakes. Now we must continue."

Sun 08:21 - SS19: Ogier 1.8sec QUICKER than Paddon. "It's good to be in front of Hayden. Of course I want to grab the win - that's what I'm here for - but for now it's good to stay ahead of the Hyundai."

Sun 08:18 - Stage info: SS20Bucca16, 31.90km. Bucca means long and winding in the indigenous language and that sums up this stage. Disused tracks have been opened up to create extra distance and a chicane has been included ahead of a tight right bend following a flat-out straight – the first time Rally Australia has featured a chicane in its history. The surface has suffered in places from rain damage but otherwise it is good and fast throughout.

Sun 08:17 - SS19: Paddon He starts the day 12sec off the lead and he's quickest so far. "We're not going to go down without trying," he says. "The guys behind are going to be pushing and so was I. Okay, probably over-driving a bit in there, but these things happen when you try."

Sun 08:14 - SS19: Neuville 11.9sec off the pace and there is a stick poking from his Hyundai's radiator grill. "I had a spin in a very fast section." he explains. "There was so much dust in the car and I was distracted. I stalled the engine and it would not restart straight away. That cost me about 10 sec I think."

Sun 08:10 - SS19: Sordo Not the start that Dani wanted. He's 2.9sec slower than Ostberg and slips down to sixth place. "He was quicker," Dani acknowledges. "I had no grip at all and in the fast places I was not able to be fast enough. We'll try to do better in the next one."

Sun 08:04 - SS19: Ostberg "Quite okay. One mistake in there, when my pace notes were far too fast on one corner. Otherwise a good start to the day."

Sun 08:03 - Tyre infoNews from Michelin on the number and compound (Hard or Soft) of LTX Force tyres chosen for the morning loop. Camilli/Ostberg/Ogier: 4S

Sun 08:01 - SS19: Camilli "My notes are not very good that's why I was very careful on this first pass. There was a lot of dust during the recce."

Sun 07:53 - SS19: Bertelli 9.7sec off Latvala's and the Italian has concerns about visibility. "There was a lot of dust in there, I'm quite scared about the 30km stage."

Sun 07:49 - SS19: Latvala He's through in 3m10.0s. "I enjoyed it. Not so bad. I expected worse but the grip wasn't so bad. For sure, early in the corner the car wants to go more sideways but the exits are fine."

Sun 07:35 - Stage info: SS19/SS20Settles Reverse, 6.20km. As the name suggests, Settles is driven in the opposite direction to 2015. It is fast throughout with plenty of long straights and quick corners to test the brave. Trees have been felled near the start to give improved vision and the surface is smooth throughout.

Sun 07:23 - Up firstSettles Reverse at 0743hrs. Crews are on their way there now having left the service park from 0715hrs. Stage notes coming up...

Sun 07:21 - Start intervals WRC and WRC 2 class drivers will start at four-minute intervals today - up from three yesterday - to give the dust time to settle between cars

Sun 07:20 - Weather A little early cloud but it looks like being another cracking day here in New South Wales. The forecast predicts a dry, hot and sunny day with a maximum temperature of 29˚C

Sun 07:19 - Time zonesAll times quoted here are local. And for Coffs Harbour that's still Australian Eastern Daily Savings Time (AEDT). In European terms, CET +10 hours.

Sun 07:19 - Live TV stages WRC+ subscribers can watch SS21 and SS23 LIVE. Head to the wrc.com homepage for details

Sun 07:18 - Sunday's itinerary The final leg heads north of Coffs Harbour for the first time. Drivers tackle three tests in the morning, Settles Reverse, Bucca16 and Wedding Bells16, before a 30min service. After that, they will repeat Settles Reverse and the live TV Power Stage.

Sun 07:17 - Coming upThe grand finale - both to the rally and the 2016 season. On the menu: 57.18km of gravel reads and the rally closing Power Stage which offers bonus points to the three fastest drivers.

Sun 07:17 - We're live And in position at the WRC TV nerve centre to bring you all the news from today's final group of stages

Sun 07:16 - Hello texters Good morning one last time from Coffs Harbour, and welcome back to our live text coverage of Kennards Hire Rally Australia

Sat 18:36 - Until thenKeep an eye on wrc.com for our daily reports and all the news from Australia. And don’t forget WRC+ where you'll find stacks of stage footage, highlights shows and onboards. Bye for now!

Sat 18:35 - We will return On Sunday to bring you coverage of the final day in Australia - and the final day of the 2016 season. We'll be here from 0743hrs (local) when the opening stage gets underway.

Sat 18:00 - SS17: BertelliThe Italian sets a new time to beat: 1m03.6s.

Sat 17:56 - SS17: LIVE And we're at the sharp end now. WRC2 leader Esapekka Lappi has just completed in 1m04.6s. Quickest on stage so far is Jari-Matti Latvala (11th in the overall standings) in 1m03.7s.

Sat 15:47 - Next stage: 1648hrsThat's when the first car will start SS17. Like Friday, the running order will be reversed for these two stages and the World Rally Cars will be on track last from 1752hrs.

Sat 15:34 - Up next: Regroup Crews are gathering in the holding area in Coffs Harbour ready for tonight's super specials.

Sat 15:20 - Speeding fines The clerk of the course has fined Ott Tanak, Thierry Neuville and Andreas Mikkelsen after they were caught speeding en route to Friday evening's super special in Coffs Harbour. Tanak has been fined €400, Neuville €750 and Mikkelsen €800.

Sat 15:12 - SS16: WRC2 FuchsWell cushioned in second place in WRC2. "Better than the morning, I have better pace notes now. I have to finish the rally now."

Sat 15:09 - SS16: WRC2 Ptaszek"This one not bad. Our problem before means we have lost out in the battle for second but that's rally. I keep trying."

Sat 15:06 - SS16: WRC2 Lappi "No problems. Everything is fine. I was expecting it to be harder. But it's not." He's a cool customer is Lappi.

Sat 15:04 - SS16: Bertelli "We broke the rear anti-roll bar on the last stage so we didn't have that here. It was quite slippery and I was struggling with the grip. We don't have a lot of tyre left."

Sat 15:00 - SS16: Camilli "Quite strange, I had no brakes - nothing at all for the first 4km. Very scary."

Sat 14:56 - SS16: Tanak 13.4sec off the pace, slowest of the WRC runners through so far. "A clean stage. No worries. All good. Still driving."

Sat 14:54 - SS16: Ostberg Three-tenths slower than Sordo and that means Mads drops behind him in the overall standings. "Yeah. It was okay. I changed the settings back before the stage but no improvement."

Sat 14:51 - SS16: Latvala 7.8sec off the pace. "The rear-right tyre has nothing, I think all the tread is gone. With these slicks I knew we'd lose time, so I'm actually quite satisfied" He is still grinning.

Sat 14:49 - Mikkelsen update Stopped on the road section to SS17 working on the car.

Sat 14:48 - SS16: Sordo "My tyres are completely destroyed and the feeling was really, really bad. In the first corner I went off a little bit. Let's see how the time compares with Mads"

Sat 14:46 - SS16: Paddon 3sec slower than Ogier here and Paddon remains third, 10.1sec off Mikkelsen's lead. "I'm trying to drive it really straight. Our tyres are worse than the others I think. My tyre management is better than before but still there's more to do. Andreas' problem keeps things tight. We won't give up until the end of the Power Stage."

Sat 14:43 - SS16: Mikkelsen More time loss for Andreas who ends 9.2sec slower than Ogier. What happened? He motions inside to the footwell of his Polo R. The clutch pedal has bent and is touching the brake pedal. "The clutch pedal and brake pedal are pushing down together," he explains. He sets off to investigate.

Sat 14:39 - SS16: Neuville Six-tenths quicker than Ogier. "A good day for us. We are doing pretty well. A wrong tyre choice this morning, which cost us in the battle for third, but a good improvement here."

Sat 14:36 - SS16: Ogier "Andreas is fast, he can hold his position, I've been trying everything I can since the beginning of the rally. I can't do more than that."

Sat 14:28 - SS16: LIVE Valla16 is the last 'proper' test of the day before the two Destination NSW super specials. Ogier and Neuville are in stage.

Sat 14:26 - SS15: WRC2 FuchsSecond-quickest in WRC2 to maintain his position of second in class. His Fabia is sporting badly worn front tyres. "I think it's okay, I have two spares."

Sat 14:24 - SS15: WRC2 Ptaszek 1m47.6s slower than Lappi and his Peugeot's front-right tyre is pushed off the rim. "That's not a problem, it happened on the road, but we got a right-rear puncture here and we had to drive 6km on it."

Sat 14:11 - SS15: Camilli "It's feeling better in the car. I tried to push but it's not easy to remember this stage - it's so long. Good training for next year."

Sat 14:08 - SS15: Tanak 20.6sec slower than Ostberg. "So hot it feels like a sauna in the car."

Sat 14:06 - SS15: Ostberg 11sec off the pace. "We made a few changes to the set-up but they didn't work out. I couldn't keep the rear in the line - just couldn't find the traction. This was a very bad stage for us."

Sat 14:04 - SS15: Latvala As much as 5.9sec quicker than Ogier on the split times, but Latvala completes just nine-tenths up. And his maximum attack has scrubbed all the tread from his tyres, "They were completely finished near the end but overall we managed to do a good stage," Latvala says. "We planned to push, calm down, push again and then see how the tyres were. But they were done. In some corners near the end we were just passengers."

Sat 13:59 - SS15: Sordo Third fastest so far. "The balance was good. I lost a little time near the end when the rear tyres started to move around but the time was good."

Sat 13:56 - SS15: Paddon He completes 7.3sec slower the Ogier and loses second place to him. "We always knew he would be on a mission here. We had a good stage. I was a lot smoother at the start and the tyres only went off near the end, so that was okay. If I had done much more maybe the tyres wouldn't have got us here. It's hard to find the balance."

Sat 13:54 - SS15: Mikkelsen 4.6sec slower than Ogier here. That keeps Ogier 12sec behind in the overall standings. "Seb told me he would help me get second place in the championship - it doesn't look like it! A good stage but it was hard to know how hard to push. I'm happy with my drive but I'm not sure how the tyres are for the next stage."

Sat 13:50 - SS15: Neuville He completes 7.2sec slower than Ogier and sounds satisfied. "To be honest, I drove very well. I had to back off at the end though because the tyres were beginning to lose their grip."

Sat 13:47 - SS15: Ogier He's through and straight out of the car to inspect his tyres. They look pretty good. "I was really looking after them and they survived pretty well. A difficult stage. Let's see."

Sat 13:38 - SS15: Splits watch More even than this morning's first pass. Ogier has passed the 33km point. Paddon is slower by eight-tenths at the 17km point. Latvala is quickest to the 8.6km point.

Sat 13:27 - Weather updateScorchio. Clear blue sky, fierce sunshine and a temperature of 33˚C at the SS15 stage end

Sat 13:25 - Tyre infoNews from Michelin on the number and compound (Hard or Soft) of LTX Force tyres chosen for the afternoon loop. All Michelin runners: 5H

Sat 13:20 - SS15: LIVE Neuville and Ogier in stage

Sat 11:22 - Next stage: 1316hrs That's Ogier's start time for the Nambucca repeat. We'll take a text break until then.

Sat 11:20 - Up next: ServiceCrews are en-route to Coffs Harbour and the midpoint 30-minute service

Sat 11:13 - SS14: WRC2 Ptaszec "Really lucky to be here because we had a close call in a ditch on the first one. Now we're just focused on the driving."

Sat 11:11 - SS14: WRC2 Lappi"All going to plan. No problems. The car is working perfectly - and the crew too. I tried a different type of driving here - fully sideways, rather than the usual Tarmac style - and the time is better."

Sat 11:05 - SS14: Camilli "The first one was very difficult with the high-speed crests, but we are happy and looking forward to the afternoon."

Sat 10:59 - SS14: Ostberg He rounds off the morning in fifth place, trailing Neuville by 7.7sec. "It's been a good morning for sure. Hopefully I can increase my speed in the afternoon but there's not so much more I can do."

Sat 10:57 - SS14: Latvala 1.7sec off the leading pace here, but Latvala is still super confident after his previous stage win. "The rough times for me started after Germany and I have been too negative in my mind, but now it's coming. It's a mind game. Okay, this stage wasn't great, I didn't get a sense of the grip level yesterday. I could have done a better job."

Sat 10:52 - SS14: Sordo "It was okay this morning. We lost six or so seconds with an overshoot but otherwise no mistakes. Our target is to catch Ostberg." The gap between them was 14.2sec after the previous stage.

Sat 10:50 - SS14: Paddon He rounds off the morning in second place - 13.6sec behind Mikkelsen. "We can't be disappointed. It could have been better but we're back in the fight. It will be much more difficult to take as much time again in Nambucca on the repeat but we'll give it our best shot."

Sat 10:47 - SS14: Mikkelsen "A good morning. Seb took a risk on the soft tyres which paid off I think. For us, it's been okay, we have kept the gap more or less the same, but for sure this afternoon we must push."

Sat 10:45 - SS14: Neuville Ruing his choice of hard-compound tyres. "I was concerned that the softs would be too soft for the conditions this morning. In hindsight we should have taken a few more risks with the tyre choice. But but we are still in the race. We won't give up."

Sat 10:41 - SS14: Ogier "Soft compound tyres were completely the right choice. It was a bit of a risk but in our position it was all we could do. It turned out better than I expected. This afternoon there will probably be some issue with tyre wear, so I will have to be clever. It will be interesting."

Sat 10:33 - Stage info: SS14Raceway SSS, 1.37km. New for this year, Raceway SSS is on a purpose-built track used for karting, drifting and rallycross. Two small sections of gravel break up the asphalt. It’s a great venue for fans, with grass banks rising above the track providing great viewing.

Sat 10:32 - Next stage: 1035hrsThat's Ogier's start time for the Raceway Super Special stage.

Sat 10:17 - SS13: Bertelli "I don't know why but I'm struggling in some sections and not others. It's me - I need to understand more about the roads."

Sat 10:15 - SS13: Camilli "Better than the previous stage. This morning has been complicated; I know I can go quicker but I'm being cautious on the fast sections."

Sat 10:11 - SS13: Tanak 11.8sec off Latvala's time and he's found the limit of his DMACK tyres. "It's far too warm today. I try, but there's nothing we can do today."

Sat 10:08 - SS13: Ostberg Mads matches Ogier's time. "Quite a good stage. A good rhythm. A good push. But what did Jari-Matti have for breakfast?"

Sat 10:06 - SS13: Latvala A great fastest time from Jari-Matti. He is 7.8sec quicker than Ogier and buzzing with confidence. "That was my comeback. I have been lost for six months but this stage gave me back what I have wanted for a long time. I'm being brave, I'm not afraid of anything. No left-foot braking - just flat out." Wow.

Sat 10:01 - SS13: Sordo "Some dust [in the air] but a lot of gravel on the road. It doesn't seem to be cleaning."

Sat 10:00 - SS13: Paddon 1.1sec slower than Ogier and one-tenth up on Mikkelsen. "We struggled a bit in there, it was very loose, especially near the start, and the car was sliding about too much. Maybe I'm driving too hard - I need to bring it back a notch." Paddon has sealed the dust holes in his car with duct-tape.

Sat 09:57 - SS13: Mikkelsen 1.2sec off Ogier's pace. "I took some risks here. There were places where it was so dusty I couldn't see anything."

Sat 09:55 - SS13: Neuville 6.2sec slower than Ogier. Problem? "No, the stage was just very, very loose. Ogier had the soft tyre and that's definitely what I should have chosen. I did all I could. I was over the limit in many places. Also I had to back off in a couple of dusty places."

Sat 09:50 - SS13: Ogier"I was completely flat out, it was a completely perfect stage, I could not do more. The tyre choice was right - on the soft tyres we minimised the time loss."

Sat 09:42 - Stage info: SS13/SS16Valla16, 14.84km. A flowing 5.9km section through trees has been introduced at the start of Valla. After turning onto familiar territory, the shire roads become wide and open as they cross farmland, crossing several old wooden bridges. An artificial jump near the finish has been removed this year with a new 800 metre section providing the climax to the stage.

Sat 09:41 - Up next: Refuel A quick splash and dash at Bowraville before crews move on to Valla16.

Sat 09:37 - SS12: WRC2 Fuchs 38.2sec slower than Lappi here "A long stage. I wanted to complete it in one piece." Fuchs remains second in WRC2, but Ptaszek - who was 2.9sec quicker on this stage - is just 3.7sec behind the overall standings.

Sat 09:35 - SS12: WRC2 Al-Suwaidi The Qatari has withdrawn from today's competition. WRC+ tracking shows his Skoda en-route back to the service park.

Sat 09:34 - SS12: WRC2 PtaszekSome left-hand damage to the front of his Peugeot. "A close call," he grins, "After the second jump we went off and spun. We are okay though."

Sat 09:30 - SS12: WRC2 LappiA clean run keeps the Finn way out in front in WRC2. "Not so enjoyable for me. We are not competing really hard - and it's not so easy to drive on the safe side like this. It's okay though."

Sat 09:29 - SS12: Bertelli The Italian completes 1m08.6s slower than Paddon. "The engine stopped in here last year. Considering that, the time is not so bad. We could have been faster."

Sat 09:24 - SS12: Camilli 28sec off the pace. "I wanted to battle Mads here, but I found this one very difficult."

Sat 09:22 - SS12: Tanak A terrific start from Ott - up on Paddon at the opening split - but he completes 14sec slower. "I tried to push hard in the beginning but later on it got hot and we lost the tyres. Then it was frustrating but I tried to do my best." Current air temperature at the stage end is 25˚C.

Sat 09:17 - SS12: Ostberg "Difficult in the dust towards the end. My pace notes don't have as much information as they used to and I noticed that in the dust."

Sat 09:14 - SS12: Latvala Second quickest. "I enjoyed the driving but there was quite a lot of dust near the end. I had to back off there because the visibility was quite bad."

Sat 09:09 - SS12: Paddon An incredible run, 10.2sec up on Mikkelsen, and Paddon is up from 4th to second - 13.5sec off the lead. He and co-driver John Kennard are covered in dust from head to foot. "Right from the first corner we had dust billowing into the car," says Paddon. "I was distracted in a few places but I just tried to forget about it. I thought maybe the rear door was open, but perhaps it's a hole somewhere under the car."

Sat 09:06 - SS12: Mikkelsen Quickest through so far, 2.4sec up on Ogier. "I had four hard tyres here - I think that was the right choice although I felt a lack of grip. Not an easy stage. I'm happy with my stage. It wasn't perfect but it was okay." And what of Paddon's rapid splits? "The more he [Paddon] fights the more fun it will be."

Sat 09:03 - SS12: Neuville 9.7sec slower than Ogier. "The hard tyres were right for me - the car was still moving like hell at the rear. It's getting cloudy too - I lost at least five seconds in the dust."

Sat 09:01 - SS12: Ogier He's through and straight out of his car to inspect his soft-compound tyres. "It was not such a bad choice - the tyres look okay. I had to try something [different]. The hards wouldn't have been any better." There is some panel damage to the front of Ogier's Polo R. "I hit all the poles - have to try and cut everywhere."

Sat 08:58 - SS12: Splits watch Paddon still very impressive - 9.6sec up on Mikkelsen at 33.10km - but Tanak looks to be on a mission too. Tanak is six-tenths quicker than Paddon at 8.6km.

Sat 08:29 - Tyre infoNews from Michelin on the number and compound (Hard or Soft) of LTX Force tyres chosen for the morning loop. Paddon/Sordo/Neuville/Latvala/Camilli: 5H. Ogier: 4S&1H. Mikkelsen/Ostberg: 4H&1S

Sat 08:29 - Stage info: SS12/SS15Nambucca, 50.80km. Nambucca is one of the longest stages of the season. It is fast and flowing with big corners and crests, although there is a 4km area in the middle which is extremely tight between trees. Jumps and small sections of asphalt mean this test has everything. Loose gravel means staying on the clean line will be key.

Sat 08:27 - Up firstNambucca from 0828hrs. Crews are on their way there now, after leaving the service park from 0700hrs. Stage notes coming up...

Sat 08:27 - WRC LiveBecs Williams is hosting this weekend's radio coverage assisted by stage-end reporters Colin Clark and Emyr Penlan. The team are on air now. You'll find a link in the LIVE section.

Sat 08:27 - Start intervals WRC drivers will start at three-minute intervals to give the dust time to settle between cars

Sat 08:26 - WeatherAnother beautiful summer's morning here in Coffs Harbour. Blue skies, bright sunshine a light breeze and a fine, dry day in prospect. The current temperature of 15˚C is predicted to hit 28˚C later.

Sat 08:25 - Time zonesAll times quoted here are local. And for Coffs Harbour that's still Australian Eastern Daily Savings Time (AEDT). In European terms, CET +10 hours.

Sat 08:25 - Saturday's itinerary The guts of Saturday's competition are two stages, Nambucca and Vala16, that run consecutively in the morning and are repeated in the afternoon after a 30-minute midpoint service. Also on the menu are a second blast around the 1.37km Raceway super special and two more visits to the Destination NSW super special in Coffs Harbour. Action on the opening Nambucca stage starts at 0828hrs, while the final stage kicks off at 1656hrs.

Sat 08:24 - Coming upLeg two of three, Saturday is the longest of the lot, with 135.19km of stages, including two runs of the daunting 50.80km Nambucca - one of the longest stages of the season.

Sat 08:24 - We're live Reporting from the WRC TV base in the service park to bring you all the news from the stages.

Sat 08:23 - Good morning text folkHello again from Coffs Harbour, and welcome back to our live text coverage of Kennards Hire Rally Australia, the final round of this year's WRC.

Fri 19:43 - Until thenKeep an eye on wrc.com for rally reports and all the news from Australia. And don’t forget WRC+ where you'll find stacks of stage footage, highlights shows and onboards. Bye for now.

Fri 19:42 - We will returnOn Saturday from 0828hrs (local) when the opening stage gets underway.

Fri 19:30 - SS11: Mikkelsen Fourth quickest here, nine-tenths slower than stage winner Ogier. Mikkelsen's overnight lead stands at 15.4s. "We want to be second in the championship so we have to give it everything," he says. "I want to give Volkswagen the win it deserves. It will be interesting to follow the rest of the event..."

Fri 19:23 - SS11: NeuvilleA wide line around the berm corner and Neuville completes one-tenth slower than Paddon. "We have to keep up the pressure on Andreas. It's been a pretty good day, we're close to Seb, so we can't complain."

Fri 19:20 - SS11: Paddon Quickest through so far. "This is a a nice city for a Super Special on the beach. A good day."

Fri 19:19 - SS11: Ostberg"To be honest, this is the first time today I am really happy that I have no tyre tread left - they worked really well on this stage."

Fri 19:17 - SS11: TanakFourth quickest on SS11 so far, but the 40sec penalty from SS10 has dropped him from seventh to eighth place.

Fri 19:10 - SS11: Bertelli Quicker than Jari-Matti by four-tenths. "Okay, good to be quicker than Jari-Matti, but I lost so much time with a stupid mistake on the run before. Now I have a big fight tomorrow if I am to get that time back."

Fri 19:08 - SS11: Latvala First to complete and his time is identical to his time on SS10: 1m03.8s.

Fri 19:05 - SS10: Mikkelsen Five-tenths slower than Ogier but Mikkelsen remains out front overall with a rally lead of 16.3sec. "It's been a good day. Just one stage to go and I'm very happy to be leading from third on the road. That gives me good confidence ahead of tomorrow."

Fri 19:01 - SS10: OgierThe champ sets a new fastest time: 1m02.4s. "It's always good to hear you are quickest, now let's see how Andreas does - he's quick on this sort of stage. A very short run, just for some fun, but I'm happy."

Fri 18:59 - SS10: Neuville Second quickest, one-tenth slower than current pacesetter Latvala. "I try to push - I have to. Andreas is leading, so I have to keep pushing hard."

Fri 18:45 - Stage info: SS10 / SS11Destination NSW SSS, 1.27km. Coffs Harbour’s fan favourite street stage in the jetty area is very different from when it was last used in 2011. The mainly asphalt test is concentrated in a small area that provides stunning views of Boambee Beach. The action will be spectacular with two 360 degree donuts, a banked corner and a jump.

Fri 18:43 - SS10: Bertelli The Italian takes a wrong turn and clatters his Fiesta into a fence. He completes 23.3s slower than Latvala. "I got the sun in my eyes and lost my reference point," he explains. His car looks okay.

Fri 16:20 - SS10 A special order for these two stages. Here's how the WRC drivers will line up from 1838hrs: 1.Latvala, 2.Bertelli, 3.Sordo, 4.Tanak, 5.Camilli, 6.Ostberg, 7.Paddon, 8.Neuville, 9.Ogier, 10.Mikkelsen.

Fri 16:13 - Up next: SS10The Destination NSW Super Special Stage starts at 1700hrs. The WRC runners will be on stage from 1838hrs. WRC subscribers can watch this one LIVE. Still time to sort a subscription if you haven't already...

Fri 15:50 - SS9: WRC2 Al-Suwaidi "A nice stage, very twisty. We try to learn the Skoda more. It's my first time in this car."

Fri 15:47 - SS9: WRC2 Ptaszek"We have to slow down because the engine has been overheating all the loop. We turned off the anti-lag to try and help."

Fri 15:46 - SS9: WRC2 FuchsHis running repairs are holding up well. "We hit the wall hard [in SS8]. I bent a suspension arm, so I changed that, but I have a broken damper as well. I have to drive carefully - no jumps or bumps - and it's okay."

Fri 15:32 - SS9: Camilli He's 1.1sec slower than his team-mate Ostberg but wanted more. "I expected the time to be a bit better. I was pushing."

Fri 15:29 - SS9: Tanak Fourth-quickest. "The car handling is quite okay now. We made many changes to our pace notes in here, overall it was better than the first pass."

Fri 15:26 - SS9: Ostberg "Much better than the first pass. Not a bad rhythm. We struggled between the stages though - our [wheel] nut gun didn't work, so it hasn't been easy to swap our tyres around."

Fri 15:22 - SS9: Sordo 10.7sec off Ogier's pace. "No grip at all. We lost time but I'm surprised by how much seeing as this is the second pass."

Fri 15:20 - SS9: Paddon 7.2sec off the pace and Paddon loses position - dropping from second to fourth. His tyres look badly worn. "No drama at all. There will be a good fight tomorrow. The stages will suit me better and we'll be in a good position. I'm feeling very comfortable."

Fri 15:18 - SS9: Mikkelsen Sets the same time as Neuville. The front of his Polo R is covered in oil. "Everything is fine but it's easy to make a mistake in such changeable grip." And the oil leak? "It's fine - we will get to service okay."

Fri 15:15 - SS9: Neuville 2.4sec slower than Ogier. "I tried to do my best. And to be in my current position feels quite good. For sure my car is not working as well as Seb's here. He made a gap on the first pass and he will make another here."

Fri 15:11 - SS9: Ogier"I pushed as hard as I could all day. I have nothing to lose, let's see what we can do. This one was quite slippery for us and the tyre wear was high. Usually when this happens we play well. Let's see if this helps us to counteract the handicap."

Fri 14:50 - Next stage: 1502hrsThat's Ogier's start time for the repeat of Newry16.

Fri 14:40 - SS8: WRC2 PtaszekProblems too for Hubert. "We lost a lot of power because of overheating - both the turbo and water temperatures are very high."

Fri 14:38 - SS8: WRC2 FuchsBig problems for Fuchs, who completes with the right-rear wheel of his Skoda pointing out at 45 degrees. "I hit a wall. Something is broken. I need to go and fix it." He holds second place in WRC2 for now, but further time loss seems inevitable.

Fri 14:36 - SS8: WRC2 LappiA scare for the WRC 2 leader. "So far a problem-free rally but there is still a long way to go. I hit a huge stick in here, it was on the road right on the line. Someone must have put in there - it hadn't fallen from a tree."

Fri 14:28 - SS8: Bertelli "The car is working better, but still feeling a bit nervous. It's hot, I'm not pushing too much."

Fri 14:26 - SS8: Latvala Eighth-fastest of the seven cars through so far. Problem? "No, it's an okay time because our tyres are quite used. I used them too much in the first two stages."

Fri 14:20 - SS8: Tanak"The balance of the car is much better now. No complaints. How are my tyres? Take a look yourself." Our man at the stage end doesn't think they look too bad.

Fri 14:16 - SS8: Ostberg "I can't say how my tyres are coping but I have a good driving rhythm."

Fri 14:14 - SS8: Sordo "My tyres are completely destroyed. Like slicks. Go off the line and there's no grip. I tried to be clean but it's difficult to keep up the speed like this." Dani is slowest of the five drivers through so far.

Fri 14:12 - SS8: PaddonNo chance to make up time on the leader here - instead Paddon is slower than Mikkelsen by six-tenths. "The tyres are really bad. I've pushed them too hard in the last stage and a half."

Fri 14:08 - SS8: Mikkelsen 2.6sec slower than Ogier and it's a shocker of a stage for the Norwegian. "It felt really bad in there to be honest, oversteer and understeer in every corner. Then I got a water bottle stuck between my feet. I managed to catch it in one corner - but that was scary."

Fri 14:05 - SS8: Neuville 1.7sec slower than Ogier. "The road is cleaning and the car is working better now there is more grip. I think I pushed my tyres too hard. Ogier is driving very well."

Fri 14:03 - SS8: Ogier He's through 17sec quicker than his earlier pass, but that speed comes at some cost as the afternoon temperature hits 31˚C. "The tyre wear is extremely high. It's really, really hot now. I hope the loop will be okay but my tyres look very worn now."

Fri 13:40 - SS6: Latvala Car fixed, Jari-Matti is three-tenths off Mikkelsen's leading pace. "A good run. This is what we should have done on the first pass..." He remains way down the standings, almost 8min off the lead.

Fri 13:38 - SS6: Camilli "Very slippery again. I think I need to be softer on the set-up. That could be better for the next stage."

Fri 13:35 - SS6: TanakHis team has cured his earlier oversteer problem - but perhaps too effectively. "The car is the opposite now, we have understeer, but we are closer. I'm happy."

Fri 13:32 - SS6: Ostberg 2.8sec off the pace. "A good stage and a better feeling but I didn't manage to take full advantage of the higher grip."

Fri 13:30 - SS7: LIVE It's the same tight schedule as the morning loop. Ogier and Neuville are in stage seven already.

Fri 13:29 - SS6: Sordo "The stage was not so bad. Better grip. On hard tyres I think it was a bit better."

Fri 13:23 - SS6: Mikkelsen Quickest so far for the rally leader - but not by teh same margin "Going really well so far. The grip level is very different this time, there's still some cleaning. We tried to adapt as quickly as possible."

Fri 13:20 - SS6: Neuville 2.1sec slower than Ogier here. "I have to go too sideways if I want to keep the speed in the corners. We are losing time like that. Not so nice. I can't follow Seb's lines - it's impossible."

Fri 13:18 - SS6: Ogier He's through in 4m52.1s - eight seconds quicker than the morning pass. "The conditions are better that this morning for sure, but the road will continue to improve I think. We pushed to the maximum this morning and we'll continue to do that. There's nothing more I can do."

Fri 13:15 - SS6: LIVEOgier and Neuville in stage

Fri 13:14 - Sordo penalty The Spaniard's 20 sec penalty for late arrival to SS4 has been applied. He slips from second to seventh place.

Fri 13:13 - Tyre infoNews from Michelin on the number and compound (Hard or Soft) of LTX Force tyres chosen for the afternoon loop. Paddon/Sordo/Neuville/Ogier/Latvala/Ostberg: 4H&1S. Camilli/Tanak/Mikkelsen: 5H

Fri 11:28 - Next stage: 1310hrsThat's Ogier's start time for the Utungun repeat. We'll take a service break and resume our live text service then.

Fri 11:19 - Rally leader Mikkelsen arrives at the service time control. "I'm feeling really good. A good drive and I've been trying to make the most of the lines from the two cars ahead. I expected the guys behind to be faster. The car feels perfect, really nice, I want to sit in it forever. We're in a perfect rhythm now. I want to keep that for the afternoon - I don't want to change anything."

Fri 11:15 - Up next: Service Crews are returning to Coffs Harbour for the midpoint 30-minute service.

Fri 11:12 - SS5: WRC2 Lappi It's all going to plan for the WRC2 leader who only needs to finish second to clinch the title. He leads by more than 40sec - even with a cautious approach. "I've driven on the safe side all the time. Just doing the job we need to do," he says.

Fri 11:08 - SS5: Bertelli"The car is not turning properly - maybe the camber at the front is wrong. We need to make some changes now."

Fri 11:06 - SS5: Latvala "Not a great day for us. Now we need to get the car back to the team so they can work on it. Hopefully we'll get a better afternoon."

Fri 11:01 - SS5: Camilli "A good morning for us. We are happy. More than we expected. After a difficult GB it's good for the confidence."

Fri 10:56 - SS5: Tanak "A frustrating morning, but what can I do?" As well as the sticking throttle, Tanak suspects he has a differential problem too. "I'm sure the mechanics will get it sorted now."

Fri 10:53 - SS5: Ostberg "The two last stages have not been good and we stalled on the start in here. We'll be alright after the service with new tyres and a fresh start."

Fri 10:50 - SS5: Sordo Second place for now, but Dani expects to drop back. "We will get a 20 second penalty for being two minutes late [to the start of SS4]. We got lost on the road section," he explains.

Fri 10:46 - SS5: Paddon 14sec off Mikkelsen's lead on his mix of hard and soft tyres. How was the gamble? "You've got to try these things sometimes. Okay, it didn't quite work but we're still in the fight with a long way to go. Tomorrow the day is I really enjoy. I just want to stay close today."

Fri 10:40 - SS5: Mikkelsen The leader through cleanly. "A very good morning, just like we wanted. I think we've done a pretty good job from third place in the start order. The pace has been comfortable. No moments. A good attack."

Fri 10:38 - SS5: Neuville One-tenth quicker than Ogier. "It has not been easy but we are happy to be keeping up with Seb. I have to keep an eye on the championship [fight for second] because Andreas is doing well. I expect things will be better for me this afternoon."

Fri 10:36 - SS5: Ogier That's the morning loop complete for Seb. "It's definitely been tough. I have pushed as hard as I can this morning."

Fri 10:35 - Stage info: SS5Raceway SSS. 1.37km. New for this year, Raceway SSS is on a purpose-built track used for karting, drifting and rallycross. Two small sections of gravel break up the asphalt. It’s a great venue for fans, with grass banks rising above the track providing great viewing.

Fri 10:31 - SS4: Bertelli "It's been tough. No grip and lots of wheel spin. My tyres are finished I think. We're not driving too bad. I doing know why it is like this."

Fri 10:30 - SS4: Latvala His car's left-rear wheel running true after some more repair work pre-stage. "We had more time on the road section to fix it this time. In stage we still had to be careful not to destroy it. The plan is to get to service and keep going. I'm surprised how we've managed to keep it together."

Fri 10:24 - SS4: Camilli"Completely different to the other stages, with the trees everywhere. It was very special. We didn't really push this time. Generally it's going better than I expected."

Fri 10:19 - SS4: Tanak He completes 30.6sec slower on Mikkelsen. What happened? "A spin. Some confusion in the notes and we got lost in the dust - I couldn't find the road. Also the throttle is sticking. It's difficult."

Fri 10:15 - SS4: Ostberg14.2sec off the pace here. Slowest of the six cars through. "A bad stage. No rhythm in the car. Not good. We lost a lot of time. I'm not happy."

Fri 10:13 - SS4: SordoFourth quickest but Sordo was two-minutes late starting the stage so will pick up some penalty time here. So word from Dani on what caused the delay but the atmosphere inside the car is distinctly frosty.

Fri 10:07 - SS4: Paddon 12.6sec slower than Mikkelsen at the stage end. The car looks okay. What's up? "A big problem having soft tyres at the rear and hards at the front. I couldn't drive the car straight at all. A few near spins, we hit the banks a few times." Paddon also suggests there's a problem with his car's handbrake.

Fri 10:02 - SS4: Mikkelsen "A good morning. I think we're doing a really good job from our position of third on the road. A good run here but it's very loose."

Fri 10:00 - SS4: NeuvilleSuffering like Ogier at the head of the field. "I try to do well but my time is not good. Probably a lot of tyre wear too. We had a lot of wheelspin. We have to keep the pressure up. We are going to do our best. "

Fri 09:58 - SS4: Ogier Safely through in 6m25.2s. "All okay. We have been on the limit all the way through today. Okay, we're far back, which is frustrating, but I did all I could. I have not so much hope for this afternoon, to be honest."

Fri 09:37 - Stage info: SS4/SS9Newry16. 10.49km. Newry is totally different to the stages that precede it. It runs through deep forest with barely a place where you can see out above the trees. However, shafts of light shine through the canopy, leaving shadows on the road which make it hard to spot braking points. Potentially damaging tree stumps line the roadsides and the surface is dusty in many places. The route has been heavily revised for this year. Newry should have weighed-in at 25.3km but due to extreme dust in the western section, organisers dropped the opening 14.81km - shortening the stage to 10.49km.

Fri 09:32 - Up next: SS4 After three 'shire' stages, crews are making their way into the forest for Newry16. Ogier's start time: 0948hrs. Stage notes coming up...

Fri 09:30 - SS3: WRC2 Ptaszek"The times are not so bad. I'm happy with that. Not bad for my first time here."

Fri 09:27 - SS3: WRC2 Fuchs"Very slippery and I don't have the right tyres I think. If you are out of the lines it's very tough."

Fri 09:25 - SS3: WRC2 Lappi So far so good for Lappi, who leads WRC 2 from Ptaszek in second and Fuchs in third. "I struggled a bit with the rhythm early on but I can back off if I need to. Near the end it was better. I hoped the road would be cleaner but the guys ahead are not using the same lines."

Fri 09:21 - SS3: Bertelli"My tyres are destroyed. I struggle with the rear - I have no grip at all. I'm on the limit."

Fri 09:20 - SS3: Latvala More time loss for Jari-Matti but he's through. One more proper stage to go before service. "I managed some repairs but the faster I go the more I risk losing the whole [left-rear] wheel. I could go faster but I have to drive smoothly."

Fri 09:14 - SS3: Camilli A slow start today, but he's third quickest here. "That's good news. We changed something on the car and it's better."

Fri 09:09 - SS3: Tanak Fourth quickest on stage, and third overall, but Tanak is troubled. "It's difficult to understand what's happening - it's not working at all. Very strange. I tried a lot of things but it feels horrible. There's no balance.'

Fri 09:07 - SS3: Ostberg 2.4sec off Mikkelsen's pace. "So slippery and very difficult to have good rhythm. I feel I'm fighting all the time to keep the line. I struggled in the second half because my tyres are overheating - I was a bit too keen early on."

Fri 09:01 - SS3: Sordo "There is a line, but it's not super clean. On the soft tyres there's not so much grip. Hard tyres would have been better, I think."

Fri 08:59 - SS3: Paddon Quicker than Mikkelsen at the mid-point split but 1.7sec slower at the end. Mikkelsen moves back into the lead. "When it got tight and twisty near the end we struggled for grip and turn-in with the hard tyres at the front. It wasn't too bad. I don't think there's an optimum tyre choice here. The hards feel a bit too hard, the softs a bit too soft."

Fri 08:55 - SS3: Mikkelsen Quickest so far, his Polo R sporting a chewed front bumper. "We try to cut where we can," he explains. "There's so much cleaning it's amazing. It will be difficult to fight with the guys behind."

Fri 08:52 - SS3: Neuville 1.8sec quicker than Ogier here. "I have to drive sideways everywhere to get the grip. There is a small advantage in following Ogier's lines.'

Fri 08:50 - Stage info: SS3/SS8Northbank. 8.42km. This stage starts outside The Pub With No Beer, immortalised in the ballad by the same name. After 500 metres of asphalt it switches to flowing farmland gravel, although there is more asphalt dotted throughout the test. Like the previous stages, the road twists, turns, climbs and descends around banks and headlands. Another stage that is identical to 2015.

Fri 08:49 - SS3: Ogier He's through, and his Polo R is carrying patches of undergrowth. He's pushing hard. "I take all the risks I can - I try. I have nothing to lose," he says.

Fri 08:47 - SS2: Latvala update And he's losing lots of time in stage too. He's 1m20.6s down to the leaders at the 11km split point.

Fri 08:45 - SS2: Latvala update He has started SS2 nine minutes late. That's 1m30s of penalty time to add.

Fri 08:40 - Stage info: SS2/SS7Bakers Creek. 16.75km. This is similar to the opener in its nature. After 2km of continuous twists and turns, it becomes more flowing. The middle section is tighter before an open run to the finish. There are several short sections of asphalt with a lot of gravel on the surface in the first 6km. Like the previous test, it is used in the same format as last year.

Fri 08:39 - SS2: Update Five cars through so far. Paddon is quickest to spring into the rally lead. Mikkelsen, 2sec slower on stage, is second in the overall standings, six-tenths behind.

Fri 08:34 - SS1: WRC2 Lappi The Finn just has to finish second this weekend to claim the WRC 2 title. What's his strategy? "I just want to keep some rhythm and speed - make it enjoyable. I more or less had that in here. I'm not pushing at all."

Fri 08:30 - SS1: Bertelli "Very slippery like last year. I'm struggling to find the right set-up. A strange surface."

Fri 08:28 - Latvala update He has missed his SS2 start time of 0827hrs.

Fri 08:24 - SS1: Tanak A great time for Ott, second quickest through, but he's not sounding comfortable. "No grip in there. Obviously the hard tyre is not great here. Hopefully we can change something - this set up feels a bit like a rear-wheel drive."

Fri 08:21 - SS1: Ostberg A great start - second quickest here. "That's very good. It was very slippery but I think more for the guys ahead. A nice stage and I could go really wide - I enjoyed it."

Fri 08:20 - SS1: Latvala Early disaster for Jari-Matti who drops 27sec to the leaders. What happened? "Broken suspension," he explains. "My mistake. A little wide on a right-hander over a bridge and it touched the bridge." He leaves for the next stage.

Fri 08:17 - SS2: LIVE Ogier is underway in Bakers Creek.

Fri 08:15 - SS1: Sordo Just four-tenths slower than his team-mate Paddon. "Maybe my tyres are a bit soft for this surface, but the balance of the car feels good. It's okay."

Fri 08:14 - SS1: PaddonSecond quickest, 1.4sec off Mikkelsen's pace, and the only Michelin driver to opt for a mix of hard and soft compound tyres. "I wanted to try something different and I'm pretty happy with the choice. Okay, maybe we lost a bit in the braking here, but over the rest of the loop, when things warm up, it should be okay."

Fri 08:10 - SS1: Mikkelsen A rapid start for the Norwegian - quickest so far by 4.4sec. If he wants to finish championship runner-up this year he needs a win here. "A good stage. I like this one. Now we have to keep on going. I have no choice than to try and win the event."

Fri 08:07 - Tyre infoNews from Michelin on the number and compound (Hard or Soft) of LTX Force tyres chosen for the morning loop. All Michelin drivers have 5S except Paddon who has 3S&HS

Fri 08:07 - SS1: Neuville1.2sec slower than Ogier and Neuville sounds subdued. "It was hard to follow their lines in places but I tried. Okay, a similar time to Ogier - which is not so bad. I tried my best."

Fri 08:03 - SS1: Ogier He's through in 5m00.3s and first to give his verdict on the dry, dusty conditions. "Like expected very slippery but I'm happy with my stage. A good drive but not much we can do."

Fri 07:57 - SS1: LIVE Ogier started on schedule at 0756hrs

Fri 07:53 - Stage info: SS1/SS6Utungun. 7.88km. Utungun’s open farmland roads were driven for the first time in 2015 and are used in the same format this time around. After an initial 1.2km of asphalt, it switches to fast, flowing gravel. The first half is open but it becomes twistier for the final 4km, with long corners around the hills. There is plenty of loose gravel on the road surface, which is deep in places.

Fri 07:52 - Up firstThe opening 7.88km Utungun. Crews are on their way there now, after checking out from the service park from 0645hrs. Stage notes coming up...

Fri 07:52 - WRC LiveBecs Williams is hosting this weekend's radio coverage assisted by stage-end reporters Colin Clark and Emyr Penlan. The team are on air now. You'll find a link in the LIVE section.

Fri 07:51 - Start intervals WRC drivers will start at three-minute intervals to give the dust time to settle between cars

Fri 07:50 - WeatherIt's a beautiful early summer's morning here in Coffs Harbour. Blue sky overhead, a light breeze and a fine, dry day in prospect. The current temperature of 16˚C is predicted to hit 26˚C later.

Fri 07:50 - Time zonesAll times quoted here are local. And for Coffs Harbour that's Australian Eastern Daily Savings Time (AEDT). For our European friends that's CET +10 hours.

Fri 07:49 - Friday's itinerary 2/2 Each stage in the loop will be run twice, along with two new spectator-friendly stages; the 1.37km Raceway SSS is based on a rallycross track, while the 1.27km Destination NSW SSS takes the competition back to Coffs' harbourside jetty district and will run twice to end the day.

Fri 07:49 - Friday's itinerary 1/2 The action hinges around a loop of three familiar open-county stages; Utungun, Bakers Creek and Northbank, and a new version of the forest-based Newry stage. Newry should have weighed-in at 25.3km - longest test of the day - but yesterday, due to extreme dust in the western section, organisers dropped the opening 14.81km - shortening the stage to 10.49km.

Fri 07:48 - Coming upFriday is the opening day of competition in Australia and we have a packed schedule of 11 stages to get through.

Fri 07:47 - We're live Reporting from the WRC TV base in the service park to bring you all the news from the stages.

Fri 07:47 - G'day world! A warm hello from Coffs Harbour, and welcome to our live text coverage of Kennards Hire Rally Australia, the 13th and final round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship.